• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Tourists issue warning after being jailed and deported from US for missing one key detail when travelling

Home> News

Published 11:31 21 Apr 2025 GMT+1

Tourists issue warning after being jailed and deported from US for missing one key detail when travelling

The two women said they had to endure a humiliating experience

Gerrard Kaonga

Gerrard Kaonga

A woman has taken to Reddit to explain her ‘humiliating and scary’ story that saw her and a friend deported from the US.

Donald Trump insisted he would take a very firm and strong stance on illegal immigration, and since returning to the White House, he seems to be standing by this.

However, tourists have spoken of horror stories they have now experienced from trying to enter the US lately.

Advert

A 19-year-old took to social media to explain how she and an 18-year-old friend were deported from the US as they attempted to backpack around the world.

The two women were from Germany and were left utterly stunned with how they were treated for simply having rather loose travel plans.

The two travelers, identified as Charlotte Pohl and Maria Lepere arrived in Honolulu to begin their trip and planned to explore before travelling to California and Costa Rica according to German news outlet Ostee-Zeitung.

The two girls who stunned with how they were treated by border protection (Getty Stock Image)
The two girls who stunned with how they were treated by border protection (Getty Stock Image)

Advert

Wanting to keep things flexible, they hadn’t booked any accommodation for their five weeks stay in Hawaii and it was this lack of planning that raised the eyebrows of Customs and Border Protection.

Issuing a warning to other travelers in a now deleted Reddit post, Charlotte explained what happened.

She said: “We had booked only the first 2 nights in an Airbnb, just to be flexible with our plans, like we did in New Zealand and like many backpackcers do.

“We had the onward ticket to the next destination in Asia but didn’t book domestic flights in the U.S. for the same reason.”

Advert

The traveler also noted that one comment she made may have been the mistake that resulted in them being deported.


She continued: “They were asking us why we didn’t book more nights or domestic flights, what our plans were, how we can afford to travel and especially about work.

Advert

“We do sometimes small freelance jobs online (like translating or design stuff, for customers back in Germany and sometimes also Asia, not the US.

“We mentioned that, which was maybe the biggest mistake, it was also in the e-mail that they accessed.”

According to the US embassy and Consulates: “If you wish to work in the United States for a temporary period you will require a nonimmigrant work visa. You cannot work on a visitor or business visa, or under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).”

The two travellers warned other backpackers about traveling to the US with a flexible plans (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
The two travellers warned other backpackers about traveling to the US with a flexible plans (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Advert

The two girls reportedly had an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization), which allows them to visit the US for a period of 90 days or less without the need for a visa, as long as its for a holiday or a business trip.

As a result, the pair were accused of potential illegal work intentions, handcuffed and sent to a deportation center.

After staying in less than ideal conditions, the pair were deported the following morning.

The experience was said to be humiliating and scary and came as a shock as the pair considered themselves to be tourists.

Advert

The pair are said to be ‘totally shaken’ from the ordeal and warned that other backpackers need to be careful if they intend to enter the US.

Featured Image Credit: Reddit

Topics: News, Travel, US News, Reddit, Politics, Donald Trump

Gerrard Kaonga
Gerrard Kaonga

Gerrard is a Journalist at UNILAD and has dived headfirst into covering everything from breaking global stories to trending entertainment news. He has a bachelors in English Literature from Brunel University and has written across a number of different national and international publications. Most notably the Financial Times, Daily Express, Evening Standard and Newsweek.

Advert

Advert

Advert

  • Trump signs order officially banning people from these 12 countries entering the US
  • People losing it at Trump's bizarre response when asked about actors boycotting his Kennedy Center attendance
  • European countries issue new travel warning for people traveling to the US
  • Donald Trump gives bizarre and 'illegal' response when asked about US citizens potentially being sent to 'world's worst prison'

Choose your content:

14 mins ago
an hour ago
2 hours ago
  • 14 mins ago

    Arnold Schwarzenegger's rarely-seen son Joseph reveals what his superstar dad 'busts his balls' about

    Joseph Baena said his dad is his 'role model'

    Celebrity
  • an hour ago

    Death row inmate's last meal revealed as he gave chilling 3-minute statement before execution

    Stephen Stanko's last meal was out of the ordinary for a killer

    News
  • an hour ago

    Investigation may reveal why there are so many more UFO sightings in US compared to anywhere else

    A team of experts have been looking into UFO sightings dating back decades

    News
  • 2 hours ago

    Pope Leo addresses US for first time with bold message on same day Trump holds $45,000,000 parade

    The pope delivered his message to the White Sox stadium

    News